DaveHow annoyingly bold of her! I ignored her silly comment when I couldn’t help but catch a whiff of the faint scent of men’s cologne clinging to her clothes. It was enough to set my teeth on edge."Where the hell are you coming from?" I demanded, my voice rising with each word. "And why the fuck do you smell like a man's cologne?"Belle's eyes flashed with anger. "Stop yelling at me, Dave! I’m no longer engaged to you, and I owe you no explanation for my actions."I felt a wave of disbelief wash over me. "What? Did you lose your mind after the pregnancy? What the fuck is wrong with you?"Before I could react, her hands collided with my cheeks in a loud slap. The sharp sting radiated across my face. I was shocked and furious, but more than anything, I was hurt.First she runs off to another man, now she raises her hands on me!"Don’t you ever talk to me like that!" she shouted, her voice trembling with fury. "Do you know all that I have been through? Do you know the pain and tormen
Belle's POVI guess Dave’s voice must have attracted my parents as I noticed them hurrying down the steps towards where Ben and I stood. “Where’s Dave?” My father barked angrily.“He has gone,” Ben replied with a tone of indifference.“Let’s go after him now!” My father nudged at Ben.“No father. Let him be,” Ben replied and walked away without waiting for my parents' response. My mother hurried past me and went out the door, as though time would wait for her to meet Dave still crawling to his car.Shortly after, she burst back in. “Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been? Have you lost your mind, Belle? Do you know that Dave has been awake all night waiting for you? We begged him to sleep in another room, but he refused!” she exclaimed, her face twisted with worry and anger.I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. It was always about Dave. Always about the Scott family. I scoffed and asked her angrily, “Why the fuck is it always abou
Zane’s POVThe club was dimly lit, with the bass from the music vibrating through the floor. I could barely hear myself think, which was exactly how I wanted it. I downed another shot of whiskey, the burn in my throat a welcome distraction from the turmoil in my mind. I’d been nursing drinks all night, hoping to drown out the thoughts of Belle that kept creeping back no matter how hard I tried to shove them the hell down.“Woah, woah, woah. Take it easy, bro,” Fletcher said, leaning over the table, his brow furrowed in concern. He watched as I poured myself another drink, clearly not impressed with my current state. “We didn’t come here to watch you drink yourself into a stupor. We came here for something else.”I looked up at him, forcing a smile that I knew didn’t reach my eyes. “Of course, that’s why I’m here,” I replied, trying to act normal, like I hadn’t just spent the past several hours drowning my thoughts in liquor. But I could tell from the way Fletcher was watching me that
Zane’s POVFletcher leaned back in his chair, a glint in his eye as he reached for the bottle of whiskey. "Alright, boys, time to drink some more," he said with a smirk, his gaze shifting between Zeke and me. He grabbed Zeke's glass, intending to pour him another drink, but Zeke quickly blocked it with his hand."Not tonight, Fletcher," Zeke said, shaking his head with a grin. "I’m tapping out."Fletcher raised an eyebrow, his expression exaggerated with mock disbelief. "What’s this? Zeke, the legendary party animal, turning down a drink? Has fatherhood made you soft?"I chuckled, catching onto Fletcher’s teasing tone. "Maybe we should all just stay single forever. Getting married and having kids turns you into a softie."Zeke rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face was genuine. "You two wouldn’t last a week with my life," he said, a hint of pride in his voice. "But yeah, I can’t drink anymore. I’ve got to get home and tuck the kids into bed. Hence, I’ll be heading out once we’re d
Belle’s POVA soft knock on my door pulled me from the depths of sleep. I groaned, rubbing my eyes as I sat up in bed. The early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across my room. I wasn’t ready to face the day yet, but the persistent knocking forced me to my feet.Yawning, I made my way to the door, my mind still foggy with sleep. I opened it to find Bennie, my brother, standing there with a concerned expression on his face.“Good morning,” he greeted me, his voice gentle. “How are you feeling?”I mustered a small smile, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. “I’m fine, Bennie. Just a bit tired, that’s all.”He studied me for a moment, clearly not convinced. “Are you sure? You don’t look like yourself. I was just wondering if you’re planning to go to work today. If not, I can take care of it and get you some time off.”I sighed, feeling the weight of the decision I had made the night before. “No, don’t bother, Bennie. My mind is made up.”His brow fu
Belle's POVThe hallway leading to the Director’s office felt longer than usual. Each step echoed ominously, reminding me that what I was about to do was not just difficult, but irreversible. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached the door with the gold-plated name sign, Dr. Perri (Snr). I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders before knocking twice and then pushing the door open.As I stepped inside the office, Dr. Perri, my father, was seated at his large mahogany desk, his head buried in a stack of papers. The sun streaming through the windows highlighted the silver strands in his hair, the years of stress etched into the lines of his face. “Good morning, sir,” I said in a surprisingly calm tone.He looked up, surprised by my presence. His brows knitted in confusion as he recognized me. “Belle,” he started, his tone softening, but I didn’t let him continue.“I’m here to turn in my resignation letter,” I said, cutting him off with a firm voice. I placed the sealed envelope on
Belle’s PovNot able to hold it in any longer, the tears spilled over my made up face. As I cried, I heard footsteps approaching, and I looked up to see my father standing in front of me. His face was filled with concern, but also with a frustration that he didn’t bother to hide.“Belle,” he said softly, sitting down beside me. “I didn’t mean to bring up the past. I just wanted you to see and understand what’s at stake here. Everything the Scott family did for you—they did it because they wanted you to be their daughter-in-law. They didn’t have to, but they did it because they care about you.”I couldn’t look at him. The tears kept falling, and I wiped them away angrily, hating how weak and pathetic I felt. But his words cut deep, and I couldn’t ignore them.“Despite everything, despite your PTSD, your struggles, Dave has stood by your side,” my father continued, his voice gentle but firm. “He has been there for you through it all, and now you want to act like an ungrateful person and
Belle’s POVI noticed my father's lips begin to move in defense again and since I did not have the strength to reply anymore, I turned away. I paused just before reaching the door of my father’s office, something inside me compelling me to turn back. The words were on the tip of my tongue, and I couldn’t walk away without saying them. My father had already returned to his seat behind his desk. was bowed, his eyes fixed on his desk as if he couldn’t bear to look at me anymore.“Dad,” I called out, my voice surprisingly steady despite the turmoil inside me. He looked up, his eyes weary and lined with concern. “You should have let them revoke my license.”I saw the shock register on his face, but I didn’t stop.“Deep down, I know it wasn’t my fault,” I continued, my voice growing firmer with each word. “They called it malpractice, but it wasn’t. I’ve performed that surgery dozens of times, and none of those patients died. I ran every test, checked every box. I did everything right. But